1376

BELOW: (Item 1332) 'Rockfall at Devil's Gulch'; not a Ronald Regan 'B' Movie but
feature, closed since a rock fall on 4 Nov 2018. Your BLN Editor led a full leng

t the deep cutting which is the Elan Valley Railway's (EVR) main civil engineering
gth EVR Society trackbed walk on 28 Jul 2013. (All Chris Parker, 27 Apr 2021.)

BELOW: The rock falls in Devils' Gulch (fortunately no rocks fell on 28 Jul 2013).

BELOW: Rhyader Tunnel north portal. (Chris Parker, 27 Apr 2021 and the next photo.)

ABOVE: Rhyader Tunnel south portal (with bat hole) on the Mid Wales Line (Moat Lane Jn - Brecon).

1332] Elan Valley Railway (EVR): (BLNs 772.156 & 1041.368) The Elan Valley Trail, a foot/cycle path
(National Cycle Network Route 81) uses the 'main line' trackbed of this former standard gauge reservoir
construction railway from Craig Goch reservoir dam to EVR Jn. It then parallels the Mid Wales Railway
route (CA here 31 Dec 1962) to Rhayader station, but climbs above the nature reserve in the blocked
270yd tunnel and its (very!) waterlogged approach cuttings. Contrary to OS maps, the path has never
passed through them. Four rare bat species hibernate in the tunnel. The station is a highway's depot.

The principal EVR civil engineering feature is Devil's Gulch, a deep rock cutting about a mile south of
Craig Goch (SN 903 675). On 4 Nov 2018 this was blocked by a rock fall. Further falls have occurred
since, the entire cutting is deemed unstable and remains closed indefinitely. Powys County Council
renews the closure order every six months. Welsh Water Authority is the owner but, as with Dolgarrog
river bridge (BLN 1374.1069), it lacks funds to carry out repairs and in Feb 2021 held consultation
sessions as to possible remedies/alternatives whose outcomes have not been publicised. This is hardly
satisfactory as existing official and unofficial diversionary routes are hazardous and dangerous in
differing ways. https://bit.ly/3volaLl is an excellent local press report of 4 Feb 2021 with more details.

An artefact which, surprisingly, survives in a better state is the former Cambrian Railways EVR Jn
signal box. Always greatly oversized for that location (74m 33ch from Whitchurch Cambrian Jn via
Oswestry and Moat Lane; 47ch south of Rhayader station and 6ch south of the tunnel). In 1908 it was
replaced by a ground frame and moved to Pwllheli, becoming the West Box in connection with the
extension of the Cambrian Coast line when the Inner Harbour was constructed in 1909. Ironically itself
downgraded to a ground frame in the 1970s, when seen in Oct 2020, it appeared well cared for.

1333] Paddy Trains: (BLN 1375.1186) Despite the difficult negotiations, our 1970 Graig Merthyr trip
was not the first to use an NCB (National Coal Board) Paddy Train. A member was on an SLS/MLS
railtour from Huddersfield to Ashington on 10 Jun 1967. Participants transferred to the then recently
retired Paddy Train for an NCB tour, half on the first trip, the rest on a second. Luckily the ex-main line,
mainly pre-grouping, coaches ( https://bit.ly/2RdewZK has a photo) were still there following a change
to road transport. Four weeks later on Sat 8 Jul 1967 the Warwickshire Railway Society ran a trip from
Pontard(d)ulais exchange sidings to Graig Merthyr on the Paddy Train. From the booking form, the
stock was a couple of ex-GWR bogie coaches and some box vans in light green livery with benches
fitted. Trains normally had one coach, one van and occasionally one or two wagons. Vans were also
attached to trains of empty wagons to the colliery as needed. There were three serviceable steam
locos then (see details with an e-BLN download) and two out of use, the fare was 5s 0d (25p) return.

Another, then local, member advises that, as he could only secure a booking on the main DMU section
of our 1970 tour (the Graig Merthyr trip was limited capacity so went to early bookers), he had a trip
on the Graig Merthyr Paddy Train the previous evening as he had several times before including some
footplate rides! It was certainly still conveying miners daily but may have ended soon after when the
rough (road) track to the colliery was made fit for buses. However the exact date remains unknown.

The box vans alone were in use by 1968 as the ex-GWR bogie coaches were then unfit. The trains used
a primitive wooden platform, or possibly staggered Up and Down ones, at the side(s) of the A48 level
crossing adjacent to Pontardulais NCB loco shed, known as Seidins/Sidings Fach. En route to the
Colliery on the outskirts of the town was a request halt with a platform and basic shelter; he was told it
was named 'Banc-y-Bo' but thinks this may have been an alias. [Yes, it was also known as Gopa Hill!]

There was no platform at the pit; miners climbed on and off in the Colliery Sidings. Trains ran SuX to a
timetable, coinciding with shift times. Our member understands that departures from Sidings Fach
were at about 06.00, 13.30 & (SSuX) 21.00. Motive power was one of the two Austerity 0-6-0ST or the
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST. The Society 1970 train had 4 box vans hauled by AB 0-4-0ST 1073/1906 'Graig
Merthyr' (photos e-BLN 1375) which was eventually scrapped in Apr 1973. It ran down to the British
Rail exchange sidings alongside the Swansea District Line (map BLN 1375) and to the colliery. The
second photo on Six Bells Junction https://bit.ly/3nEIqlF is actually at Pontardulais A48 Level Crossing.

1334] Core Valley Lines: (BLN 1364.3264) From the 'semi-nationalisation' of 7 Feb 2021 Keolis
withdrew from the infrastructure consortium which is now titled Amey Infrastructure Wales. Proposed
track improvements include: ֍Cardiff Queen Street remodelling. ֍Redoubling: ●Treherbert to south
of Ynyswen, ●Porth to north of Dinas Rhondda, ●Aberdare to north of Cwmbach, ●A dynamic loop
between Merthyr and Pentre-bach (outside the station limits), ●The entire Cardiff Bay branch and
●A short section at Rhymney. ֍Extending Ystrad Rhondda and Tir-phil loops northwards. ֍Quakers
Yard passing loop. ֍A dynamic loop between Dingle Road and Penarth (provided by NR). The Cardiff
Bay line may not end with a flourish; the extension to The Flourish (BLN 1307.1338) is under review,
encouragingly, as terminating there would preclude further extensions. (Modern Railways May 2021.)

1335] Bye bye for now, Cardiff Bay bay: (BLN 1374.1070) Queen Street P1 is again possessed (from
01.30 on 1 May officially), in reality continuing the original possession from 8 Mar until further notice,
the 'Up/Down Cardiff Bay chord' or No3 Line (beyond CF9448A points to approaching CF9454A points)
& P1 line (Buffer stop to CF9450 points) are OOU, secured by stop blocks with red Stop lights chained
to the rails. This time Adam St underbridge (0m 70ch, 8ch south of Sandon St) is being repaired.

1336] Off the rails in Pwllheli: Members will recall our 'Type 3 to the Sea' & 'Tri County Triple Tractor'
tours over the 10-11 Aug 2019. The generosity of participants resulted in a donation of £10,960 to the
Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), specifically towards funding a new Pwllheli boathouse. The
magnificent boathouse is complete and their new Shannon Class Lifeboat arrived at its new home on
Sun 18 Apr. Thanks again to everyone who made this possible. https://bit.ly/2Sc7jJO is the RNLI press
release and https://bit.ly/32Z4xtz is a video of the new lifeboat arriving.

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Volunteers provide a 24 hour search and rescue service around the
UK and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland
and, in a normal year, over 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.
Independent of Coastguard and government, the RNLI depends on voluntary donations and legacies to
maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have
saved over 143,000 lives.

1376 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) [email protected]

 MR page number references now refer to the 33rd (2021) edition of the 'Minor Railways' booklet 

MR68] Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Kent (MR p19) (BLN 1350.MR66): A member visited this
well known 15" gauge 14 mile long railway on Wednesday 21 April - his first minor railway visit of the
year. Travel was on the 12.30 round trip from Hythe, which used the Up line in the Down direction
between New Romney and Hythe. There was no obvious reason for the Down line to be out of use.
However, he did later find a poster stating that the Cultural Recovery Fund grant had been used,
amongst other things, to relay some track at St Mary's Bay, so that could have been the reason.
His train crossed the other at New Romney both ways, with P1 and P2 being used as a passing loop.

There was some sign of recent use on the Down line. Motive Power on 12.30 train was 'Samson', with
'Green Goddess' on the other. Both trains were about 10 bogies, all enclosed stock, with clear Perspex
screens separating the compartments. About two thirds of compartments were occupied on the 10.30
and 12.30 departures, although the last departure from Hythe had only about five groups on board
when seen at New Romney. Our reporter bought a coffee and cake at the railway's Dungeness café
and ate it in their garden area, but soon retreated back to his compartment to get out of the wind!
Both return trips included a pause here in the timetable that was operating.

MR69] Beamish - The Living Museum of the North (MR p9 & p32): The grounds of the Museum
reopened on Monday 12 April. The (non-passenger) Colliery Railway reopened with a mini-gala on
1 May, with three standard gauge and two 2ft gauge locomotives in action. Following this it will run at
weekends and school holidays. The Pockerley Waggonway will reopen on 28 May, while a 1950s bus
service will commence from Monday 17 May. The Tramway will not restart until 4 September, because
of the number of staff required to operate it, and the team who work on it all being furloughed.
The standard gauge railway from Rowley station at Beamish will not run at all in 2021.

MR70] South Tynedale Railway, Cumbria (MR p14) (BLN 1366.3482): The 2ft gauge 4½ mile long
railway plans to start running trains again on Saturday 3 July, operating each weekend until the end of
October and on August Bank Holiday Monday. There may also be a few specials for pre-booked coach
parties. A website booking system is being introduced to enable tickets to be sold in a way that
enables social distancing - it will be a bit like booking a cinema ticket online. The Railway believes that
social distancing will still be important, for reasons of safety and to give passengers the confidence to
travel. It is aimed, as far as possible, to run steam services each weekend. An Independent Engineer
has inspected all of the structures on the line from Alston up to Lintley Viaduct and has not raised any
nasty surprises. New level crossing gates have been manufactured at Alston and will be installed in
time for the start of the season. Alston Crossings Café and Slaggyford Buffet Car have been leased to
Jim and Janice McCarry who run Lowbyer Manor in Alston. The cafés will always open on running days
and at other times of lessee's choosing. The Railway has been fortunate to receive further funding of
£33,100 from the Department of Culture Media and Sport via the Heritage Fund. This is under the
second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This money will be used to keep vital functions going on
the railway and to pay for freelance time in engineering, finance and marketing - all needed to prepare
the Railway for reopening. It will then have to stand on its own feet financially from 1 July onwards
and earn its living through the fare box, largely operated and managed by volunteers.

X.117] NEXT: A new bay at Princes Risborough installed by the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
(C&PRR). (All six C&PRR photos are by Michael Trower, Sun 2 May 2021.)



BELOW: The C&PRR train has arrived at Princes Risborough from Chinn

nor and 37227 is running round; the Chiltern line is right (looking north).

BELOW: The Class 37 in the C&PRR run round facility (it's not a loop there

e wasn't room) (TRACKmaps 4 p16B 2018), Chinnor is off round to the left.









PREVIOUS TWO & BELOW: The ECS run round sequence beyond Chinn

nor station (the line is track circuited with facing point locks - hint, hint).

BELOW: (Item MR68) RH&DR No6 'Samson' at Dungeness with the 12.30

0 ex-Hythe and a 'Back on Track' headboard. (James Beal, 21 Apr 2021.)

BELOW: (Item MR69) A damp day at Beamish with 'Steam Elephant' on

n the standard gauge Pockerley Waggonway. (Peter Scott, 13 Jul 2019.)

BELOW: (Item MR73) Mid Suffolk Light Railway, 'Little Barford' (ex-po

ower station) approaches Brockford station. (Peter Scott, 6 May 2007.)

X.118] BELOW: Mid Norfolk Railway (MR p8), newly refurbished Class

47 D1933 'Aldeburgh Festival'. (Peter Singlehurst, MNR, 23 Apr 2021.)

BELOW: Also on the MNR '80078' leaving Wymonham Abbey - the clue

is background left. (Ian MacDonald, MNR.) NEXT: (Ken Hawkins, MNR.)









X.119] Llangollen Railway (MR p9); PREVIOUS: Llangollen station lookin
BELOW: Looking back towards the end of line from the next overbridge wes

ng towards Corwen, sadly with rusty tracks on a Bank Holiday weekend.
st. NEXT: Corwen, new station looking west. (All George Jones, 1 May 2021.)





BELOW: This is not a Llangollen Railway rail replacement bus servic

ce but a regular local sightseeing tour. (George Jones, 1 May 2021.)

MR71] Churnet Valley Railway, Staffordshire (MR p8): The Railway has announced new developments
in reopening the line to Leek from Leek Brook Junction. Following last year's £1.4M grant from the
European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development, work has started to prepare contracts for the
extension project. A new partnership with Crewe based Mosaic Rail will see the Signalling Design and
support for the project. Signalling Director of Mosaic Rail Ltd, Matt Wilton commented: We are
delighted to be working on this project with the Churnet Valley Railway - this will give an opportunity to
integrate modern technology and design systems into signalling systems used from the bygone days of
the railway as part of a Heritage Railway operation. Mosaic Rail has offices in the UK and Hyderabad,
India, and projects in the UK, India and Australia. The project centrepiece will be the Grade II signal box
at Leek Brook Junction as well as the reinstatement of the triangle there for the first time since 1935.

MR72] Heaton Park Tramway, Greater Manchester (MR p32) (BLN 1357.MR107): A 'cherry picker' has
been gifted to the owners of the Tramway - the Manchester Transport Museum Society - by
contracting firm Pod-Trak. It will replace a life expired example. Over the weekend of 17 and 18 April
volunteers started a sleeper replacement programme, which was to continue over the following three
weekends before the work is paused until the winter. The funding enabling this work has come from
operating during the 'Lightopia' event last December. Around 40 hardwood sleepers have been
purchased along with the nuts and bolts for the track joints and these will now be installed on the
section from old Lakeside to Whitegate. This section of track was completed in 1991 and was built
using second hand materials so has lasted very well all things considered.

MR73] Mid Suffolk Light Railway (MSLR), Suffolk (MR p8): During the Pandemic, the Railway has been
able to make progress on the extension. The first milestone, undertaken by the Middy Infrastructure
Team, was preparing and tidying Dovebrook platform - this also included the building of a new
footbridge to access the station and picnic areas. On 1 March, Network Rail contractors completed
more heavy lifting to take the line to the start of the climb to the Railway's final destination. The eight
man team extended the track 73m closer to the target of adding 500m of track. The work also saw the
railway cross the divide made by the footpath, with a new public crossing installed. This is the first
time in 15 years that the Railway has been lengthened. Once the overall project is completed, it will
extend the running line to Aspall Halt. The new terminus is being modelled on the old station at Wilby,
which will be minimal, so typical of the cash strapped Middy. A campaign has resumed to fund the rest
of the work; the line already has a station building, which is the recovered MSLR building from the old
Haughley station. The public is being invited to Sponsor a Sleeper for £15 each on the Railway's
website, with sponsors receiving a certificate and a chance to win a Driver Experience in a prize draw.

MR74] East Lancashire Railway, Greater Manchester (MR p8): The Railway has submitted plans with
Bury Council for a large restoration and development of the Buckley Wells locomotive and carriage
works site. A comprehensive programme of restoration and repair to the Grade II listed Buckley Wells
Locomotive Works and carriage shed building is planned, as well as a new locomotive running shed plus
heavy maintenance workshop on the site of the original Buckley Wells engine shed, demolished by
British Rail in the 1970s. Other developments include a new green energy carriage shed, an amended
track layout for access to the proposed new buildings, new vehicle access routes and designated
parking for full time staff and volunteers. A design and access statement with the plans prepared by
Equilibrium Architects Ltd sets out the importance of the railway to Bury and the region. The proposals
are designed to secure a managed expansion and enhancement of the operational, maintenance and
restoration capacity of the site. If the development is approved, it would help attract visiting locos to
the line. The application will be decided by Bury Council Planning Committee at a date to be fixed.

MR75] Leighton Buzzard Railway, Bedfordshire (MR p12) (BLN 1374.MR53): Work has begun on a
diversion of the Railway to facilitate construction of an access road bridge from Vandyke Road into a
new housing development. The diversion, taking the line away from Vandyke Road in the vicinity of
the old Bryans Loop, is required to provide appropriate distance for the approach ramps. The effect of
the diversion is that a short section of the current line where it runs along Vandyke Road will be closed

after the 2021 season when the bridge and new line are complete, so any member who has not yet
visited the line might like to do so this year. The bridge will be the first over the line.

MR76] Clevedon Miniature Railway, Somerset (MR p23) (BLN 1355.1813): on Saturday 24 April a visit
to Clevedon found this 15" gauge line in operation. It runs all year, weather and Covid permitting.
A train was seen running at around 10.15, with the green liveried 4-6-0BE Black 5 and two open
coaches. However, it was noted to be running with part of the cladding (the top of the 'firebox')
removed. Soon after the locomotive was noted to be under repair in the station with three gentlemen
gathered round peering inside the 'firebox' and 'boiler'. However, the problems were not terminal as a
well loaded train ran early afternoon. The fare was £2 per person (all ages) for one circuit of 900 yards.

MR77] East Anglia Transport Museum, Suffolk (MR p32) (BLN 1361.MR143): Ownership of Glasgow
double decker '488' has passed to the Museum, which was already in its care. Restoration is taking
place at the Museum and the Ffestiniog Railway and it is hoped it can return to service by Easter 2022.

MR78] Lyme Handley Railway Project (BLN 1373.MR43): A member commented that from 1959 to
1975 he lived in Macclesfield and had never heard of it before. Had they contacted his household, he
would at least have taken a ride on the railway before it closed - as it was, the opportunity was missed.

MR79] Exmouth Miniature Railway, Devon (BLN 1353.MR85): The 10¼" gauge railway returns to
Exmouth this summer, but only temporarily. Owners of the loco and rolling stock, Romy Langley and
Henry Mock, have reached agreement with East Devon District Council to occupy space in Queens
Drive for the 2021 season from 1 May until 31 October. During the season, it will be removed and
operated at various local events, before returning to Exmouth. These are: Mid Devon Show 24 July,
North Devon show 4 August, Newton Abbot Country Show 7 August and Uffculme Show 5 September.

1376 FIXTURE REPORTS (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
1337] Durham Signal Box Visits, Wed 9 Oct 2019, Part 5: (BLN 1375.1192) Ryhope Grange: This was
our final visit of the day. The 1905 built North Eastern Railway 'N3' style signal box controlled the
junction with the Hendon Branch (to Sunderland South Dock), as well as Ryhope Grange Sidings. The
latter are accessed off the remaining stub of the former branch to Murton/Hawthorn colliery, washery
and coking plant (last train 1 Apr 1993). There are associated main line facing and trailing crossovers.

At the time of our visit Ryhope Grange box contained a 1950 reconditioned McKenzie & Holland Type
17 lever frame with tappet locking. There was also a WestCAD VDU workstation only commissioned on
15 Nov 2010 which controlled the line as far as Stranton Jn (just south of Hartlepool). This replaced
Stranton, Clarence Road, Dawdon, Seaham, & Hall Dene boxes on the Hartlepool to Sunderland line.

The levers at Ryhope Grange were numbered 3 to 40 (with lever No19 missing) and 18 were still in use
(40 originally). Levers 1 & 2 were removed in 2010 to make room for the workstation following closure
of the other Durham Coast boxes. Ryhope Grange interfaced with Greatham box at about MP 71, just
south of Hartlepool, and with Tyneside Integrated Electronic Control Centre to the north at about MP
88½, both Track Circuit Block. Hall Dene (north of Seaham) and Church Street (south of Hartlepool)
level crossing barriers were also remotely controlled and monitored via CCTV from Ryhope Grange.

When we arrived, the first part of the Hendon Branch (to Londonderry Sidings) was under possession.
This was then given up, allowing us a good look at the train staff - a piece of copper pipe with a bicycle
handle attached (recycled?)! More very low-tech (but still highly safe and effective) equipment was a
wooden road occupation board with slides to indicate which sidings were occupied. Many thanks to
Local Operations Manager Katrina Lawson and her signalling staff for a very interesting and enjoyable
day; £245 from participants was donated to Cancer Research UK. (Graham Parkin and Nick Jones.)

TO FOLLOW: (Item 1337) A series of photos taken by Nick Jones during our
Wed 9 Oct 2019 visit to Ryhope Grange Signal Box between Sunderland and Seaham.